iTunes not connecting to NAS music library

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iTunes not connecting to NAS music library

I recently changed my laptop to another more up-to-date Dell running windows 11 Pro. On the old Windows 10 one I had the iTunes skin and pointed the iTunes folder location to my iTunes stored on my QNAP NAS. It worked fine with the iTunes skin on my laptop showing all my 2000 plus CD ripped music and album covers. If I ripped a new CD to iTunes (which I often do) it appeared on my NAS and in iTunes. I also used the same pathway for my Sonos which again worked fine.

So, when setting up my new laptop I authorised the laptop to my Apple account then I again added the iTunes skin and pointed it to the iTunes on my QNAP NAS. But, even though it did not say there was an issue with the pathway (which is exactly the same as used on my old laptop) when I clicked OK nothing happens. iTunes just stays blank. My Sonos using the same pathway has picked up the iTunes on my NAS as before.

I have included a screenshot of the preferences 'advanced' showing the pathway. Any help would be gratefully received.

[Edited by Moderator]

Windows, Windows 10

Posted on Oct 30, 2025 6:07 AM

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Answer 1

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turingtest2

Level 10

278,039 points

Oct 30, 2025 8:13 AM in response to pompeyexile

The media folder setting in preferences control where new items added to the library will be stored, it doesn't trigger any discovery of content that might already be in that location. I presume your old computer or a backup of it holds the iTunes Library.itl file that contains the database of what items have been added to the library. This should be copied to your new computer and accessed by holding down shift as you launch iTunes and using the choose library option. Note the media folder would normally be set to the iTunes Media folder rather than the Music subfolder within it.

See Move your iTunes library to a new computer - Apple Community for further background. With the media folder on a NAS drive I would maintain the split layout of the library.

tt2

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Answer 2

turingtest2

Level 10

278,039 points

Dec 4, 2025 1:17 PM in response to pompeyexile

See Empty/corrupt iTunes library after upgrade/crash - Apple Community and check for recently dated hidden .tmp files on the NAS. One of those might be your most recent NAS based library. Every change to the database results in a new .tmp file being generated, after which the .itl file is deleted, and the .tmp file renamed to replace it. If this process is every interrupted the .itl file can go missing. Recovering accidentally deleted files is often difficult/impossible with NAS drives which is why I recommend keeping the library database on local storage where speed of access is also higher for a file that is frequently updated.

In your first screenshot I suspect the file named iTunes Library.itl shown as an XML file and with a Firefox logo should more properly be called iTunes Library.xml - it is not a .itl file. Your file extensions are hidden in the screenshot.

What items do you have in the Previous iTunes Libraries folder?

tt2

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Answer 3

turingtest2

Level 10

278,039 points

Dec 3, 2025 12:30 PM in response to pompeyexile

The .itl file is updated every time you open and close the library or make any changes to it. The January file cannot be the most recent and previously active version of the library. Check inside the Previous iTunes Libraries folder or the system drive of the machine you've been accessing the library from. E.g. C:\Users\<User>\Music\iTunes.

tt2

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Answer 4

pompeyexile Author

Level 1

10 points

Dec 3, 2025 4:04 AM in response to turingtest2

Thank you for your help.

However I have copied the .itl file to my new laptop but it is not up-to-date and has a date on of of January 2025. I have ripped many CDs to my iTunes since then so consequently when I looked at iTunes after copying the .itl file there is some music missing even though they are all on my NSA.

The issue seems to be that for whatever reason the iTunes on my NAS has not created a new .itl file since January even though I have added more music.

On my laptop I can connect with my NAS and see the files through the network. IN doing this I can access my NAS files including the iTunes .itl file. However, as I said it is only showing a .itl file created in January. Not realising this, that was the one I copied onto the iTunes on my laptop.

Also, since then I have ripped several more CDs and they appear on itunes on my ;aptop and at the same time on the iTunes files on my NAS. It is the .itl file that for some reason just does not update.

I have included screenshots of the .itl file on the NAS and the one from my laptop which. is mean to be mapped to my NAS mapped. It is the XML file I copied into iTunes.

Sorry if I am not understanding the problem or your response but I am not very good with computers.

Many thanks

Paul

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Answer 5

pompeyexile Author

Level 1

10 points

Dec 4, 2025 9:59 AM in response to turingtest2

I have access to two .itl files one on my laptop and one on my NAS. I only keep the iTunes skin on my laptop and have it pointing to the iTunes folders on my NAS because I have over 2000 CDs ripped into iTunes and my laptop does not have enough memory to store it.

The .itl file on my laptop is only 5.20MB in size (screen shot provided) and yes has a date of 04/12/2025 which is when I last opened iTunes, whereas the file in my NAS is over 55MB in size but has this January 2025 date.

There are no other .itl files except a very old one dating back several years.

The only way I could get the iTunes skin on my laptop populated even though I put the correct path to the iTunes in my NAS was to copy the .itl file which had changed to an XML file on my NAS which I assumed was up to date as every CD I have ripped on the iTunes on my laptop transfers to my NAS.

I am totally confused probably in my ignorance how all this stuff works. I assumed as the iTunes skin in my laptop was pointing at the iTunes on my NAS it would automatically update with that but it seems two things. The iTunes in my laptop even though has the correct pathway is not working (even though my Sonos using the same pathway is) and even given that my the iTunes on my NAS is not producing a new .itl file whenever I access iTunes or rip a new CD even though it appears in the music file and in the iTunes on my laptop.

Basically it seems that whatever I have added to my iTunes from January up to changing my laptop has not updated i the .itl file.

I have included a screenshot of the .itl file showing on my laptop which you will see is very small compared to the one on my NAS.

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